Attitudes to Online Video Ads

3 in 10 Online Video Viewers Open to SocNet Mining for Relevant Ads

Among active social network users who watch videos online, 30% are willing to allow streaming video sources to mine their social networking information to provide relevant ads, according to a study released in July 2012 by Performics. Fathers are the most receptive (43%), with mothers also slightly above average (31%). Other men (e.g., bachelors, husbands without children - 27%) and other women (23%) are the least receptive.


Respondents’ openness to social network contact mining may be related to frustration with the current relevance of ads: just 30% of respondents believe that the online video ads they see are relevant to them.

The study defines active social network users as consumers who visit one or more social networks daily.

Viewers Want Variety

Meanwhile, 62% of active social network users who watch online video prefer to see a variety of ads, rather than a single ad multiple times. 66% like when ads display a countdown until the viewer can close the ad, or when the programming begins.

28% of the online video viewers say they usually view the entire ad even if they have the ability to close it. Fathers skewed highest at 38%, followed by mothers (28%), other men (26%), and other women (20%).

Computers Lead For Streaming TV, Movies, Video

When asked how often they view TV shows, movies or videos on devices other than TV, 55% of the overall sample of active social networkers said that they watch such content on a computer at least once a week. Game consoles (29%) are the next-most popular devices at that frequency, followed by mobile phones (27%) and tablets (21%).

Consumption on these devices is generally up from 2011. 55% report that the amount of time they spend consuming media on their computer has increased, while a significant proportion have also increased their time spent consuming media on mobile phones (43%), and tablets (23%). In the same order, just 7% report their time spent consuming media on computers has decreased, followed by mobile phones (9%) and tablets (9%). Game consoles remained fairly level: 22% increased their media consumption on these devices, compared to 21% who have decreased it.

These results are in line with June findings from NPD DisplaySearch, which revealed that more than 70% of consumers worldwide report viewing video content on devices other than TV sets, with laptops, desktops, and mobile phones the most prevalent devices used. Though tablets are the least-used alternative devices, their use for viewing TV/video content has more than doubled year-over-year in the 14 regional markets surveyed, primarily due to increased adoption.

Digital Formats Preferred For Some Content

Data from Performics’ “Life on Demand: Participant Behavior and Social Engagement” indicates that active social network users prefer most ad-supported media in traditional and offline formats. 52% prefer traditional or offline TV content compared to 41% who prefer this content via a digital or streaming format. Similarly, 47% prefers traditional radio versus 40% who prefer it streaming, while 49% prefer print newspapers and 55% print magazines, versus 32% and 25% for digital, respectively.

Active social network users prefer just 4 types of content digitally or streaming rather than through traditional or offline formats: pictures (56% vs. 34%); games (52% vs. 30%); movies (47% vs. 44%); and recipes (46% vs. 36%). At least two of these (games and movies) present some in-line marketing possibilities (e.g. in-game advertising and pre-roll video ads).

The most active social network users, the Über Users who visit two or more social networks at least daily, prefer all their content digital or streaming but for recipes (26%).

About The Data: Performics surveyed 1,961 Americans who visit at least one social network daily about their use of social media across devices, channels and screens.

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